Did Louvre contact Israeli intel firm for help in investigation? Here’s what museum said

Following a brazen heist at the Paris’s Louvre museum, its management on Monday (Oct 20) denied claims that they contacted a private Israeli intel firm to investigation into the jewel theft at the world-renowned French museum. Earlier, Tel Aviv based CGI Group claimed that the Louvre had sought its help for the probe into the audacious weekend robbery due to its past success in 2019 when it recovered stolen artefacts from a German museum.

“The Louvre management denies it,” museum representatives told AFP, without further details.

What did Israeli intel group claim?

The CGI Group claimed earlier that Louvre had asked them to uncover the indentity of the culprits involved in the brazen heist and recover the stolen French imperial jewels.

CGI Group CEO Zvika Naveh told AFP, “The Louvre exceptionally asked us to uncover the identity of people involved in the theft and to retrieve the stolen artefacts.”

When asked for clarification, Naveh said that the request had come “via an intermediary acting on behalf of the Louvre and other entities, including insurance companies.”

However, Louvre’s management has maintained that it had not “contacted anyone” for help into the investigation.

What prosecutor said

The group of chainsaw-wielding thieves who robbed The Louvre in broad daylight may have been hired by a collector, officials said on Monday. A day earlier, thieves broke into the world-renowned museum and fled with eight French imperial jewels–all within seven minutes. The culprits targeted Galerie d'Apollon.

Following the incident, French authorities found a 19th-century crown near the museum. The crown belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. It features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.

Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that authorities are investigating whether the heist was commissioned by a collector, reported New York Post. “We’re looking at the hypothesis of organized crime,” she told BFM TV. She added that it was possible professionals were working on spec for a buyer.

Beccuau said, in that case, that there was a good chance that the stolen pieces would be in good condition once they’re tracked down and retrieved. She added that it was also possible that the jewels were used to launder profits from other criminal enterprises.